Never what we expect
by Lonly Wanderer
Summary: (Almost) Everyone has the first words of their soulmate on their skin, some are ordinary, some are strange and some just seem impossible


So yeah this was meant to be uploaded earlier with the others, but me being me lost track of time then couldn't find it. Oh well same day so close enough.

LW: So here we go, a 1st words soulmate AU one-shot. Fine with admitting that this fic was inspired by **FunahoMisaki's** Soulmate Shorts, which was a lot of really good fun to read.

Never what we expect

As an android AIDA didn't understand the whole thing with soulmates.

Sure she had been explained the concept of them, and had evidence as both Radcliffe and Fitz had found their soulmates but it was the very idea itself that confused her. It didn't help matters that neither of the guys (nor Jemma when she was finally read in) knew how the words formed or where they came from, none of the scientists believing they were given by God or any higher being like that.

Radcliffe's story of meeting Agnes elicited positive responses, though she noticed that while he was smiling as he recounted that day, his eyes looked so sad.

One thing she learnt from listening to Fitz tell her about his 1st few days with Jemma is that they'd programmed her with the ability to laugh as she did, several times in fact during his recounting

She didn't think her lack of true humanity changed her reaction to learning her form had been (almost perfectly) based on Radcliffe's soulmate Agnes, his vision of beauty. The only reason she believed him when he said her form was chosen because 'a perfect mind needs a perfect body' was because while she could see affection in his gaze as well as love, it was different than with Fitz and Jemma, more like Radcliffe and the lad, or Agent Coulson and Daisy Johnson; affectionate, familial, possibly even paternal. He wasn't trying to make her into a replacement for his love, he really did think she deserved the best form for a being such as herself, and Agnes was what he viewed as a perfect woman. It also gave her an unfamiliar feeling (Pride possibly?) when the other AIDA's had crystal blue eyes, but only she had Agnes's emerald green.

Still, even though they told her not everyone had soul marks, (Fitz using Tony Stark and Black Widow as examples) the fact remained she felt off like something was missing or wrong. It was one of the reasons she removed not only the marks but the concept of soulmates from the Framework when she took it over from Dr. Radcliffe, the other being her own chance at happiness; Fitz was a lovely boy, bit rougher around the edges in this world but still he was a chance to be loved, especially without Jemma around, either as a soulmate or existing at all given she was ' _dead_ ' in the Framework.

Becoming human was a surprisingly pleasant experience, so many new sensations processed in a completely different way, until there was a strange almost burning sensation in her chest, twisting and contorting in familiar but unrecognisable shapes. She was brought back to reality by Ivanov's chuckles, as well as his not so subtle leering.

'Is there anything you could be doing besides staring at my breasts?' she asks with visual irritation

He laughed 'While nice, especially as they're technically real, I wasn't looking at them but what's under them. It seems little Miss Pinocchio is a real girl in more ways than you expected'

Eyebrows ruffled in confusion Ophelia runs her hands along her skin until she reaches where he had been staring; smooth, smooth, smooth, there! Her eyes widened as her fingers rubbed against what felt like a scar or a burn, further examination revealed the marks were letters… she had a soul mark.

'I'm marked. I…I have a soul?'

'It would appear so; I presume you want to know what it says?'

'Yes' she answers, not caring about the desperation in her tone; she was alive, she had a soul, and somewhere out there was a person who would love her without conditions or manipulations on either side.

Her old clothes didn't fit her new body, though considering her words Ophelia didn't mind that at the present time, plus she remembered one of the inhumans Leopold had tested had _'active camo'_ so she could use that if she really needed it.

She teleported away from the base onto the agent's ship, only to run into the inhuman Quake, her mind for once drawing a blank as to the woman's actual name, the girl taking one look at her before with a deep red blush she turns with her hands over her face, saying something she didn't expect to hear so soon after receiving them

' _ **Holy crap you're hot and naked and you have powers. Oh God'**_

Skye wasn't someone who cared about soul marks

It wasn't that she didn't have one, no there were words elegantly scrawled on her ribs that taunted her, it's that the words themselves couldn't possibly ever be uttered as someone's 1st words to her.

It didn't mean she didn't find the others stories fun or interesting, it was actually funny how ordinary FitzSimmons soul marks were: 1st day into the Academy Fitz leaned over to the person next to him and asks ' _ **Have you got a pen?**_ ' to which Jemma turns and answers with ' _ **Yes, and you're the reason I always carry spares**_ ' which Skye knew was still true to this day, the biologist carrying anywhere between 2 and 5 writing utensils in her pockets most days

Coulson's caught Skye's attention easily, how could she not when it was on display at all times on his wrist plus it was a cryptic _'_ _ **In more ways than one'**_ which bugged her curious mind. It wasn't until 2 months of asking and searching as far as she could tell May took pity on her and pulled down her shirt revealing Coulson's neat script that read _'_ _ **Hello Agent May, looks like we're partners**_ ' across her clavicle

Skye was actually fine with taking some responsibility for her crazy stalker; with Ward not having a soul mark and her neither admitting nor denying she had one he assumed she was bare too, and the two of them could be together, making their own destiny. He didn't take either her rejection of him or finding out she had a soul mark well, though she rightly laid all the collateral fallout at his feet where it belonged.

After undergoing Terrigenesis Daisy was both relieved and a little disappointed by her unchanged mark: the words meant this was always meant to happen, but the problem was her words were still impossible.

It seemed strange soul marks ran in the family, as she later learnt that Calvin's was ' _ **Nǐ wèishéme zài zhèlǐ, rénlèi?**_ ' along his ankle, with the words _**'My mandarin is rusty, do you speak English?'**_ written down Jajing's spine.

Finding out about Hive didn't bother her, not as much as when they discovered he had fused with Ward, at which point she felt like ice water had been injected into her veins, was this what her words meant, that it could be him? The relief she felt when she had been proved wrong was short-lived as Hive had taken control over her rather soon after. Her marks burned near constantly while under his thrall, as though protesting a connection this deep with someone else, with someone who wasn't her soulmate.

When Daisy entered the Framework she was actually relieved to be free of her mark, well until she found out she'd woken up next to Ward, then all the crazy _'Hydra rules the world'_ shit. Really all this madness wasn't worth the removal of her soul mark.

Returning from the Framework Daisy woke with a gasp followed by a hiss, the mark burning, probably to remind her of its existence/return, something almost confirmed when she saw Jemma's mark was also bothering her if the biologist's rubbing of her shoulder was any indication

The joy of rescuing their guys was interrupted by the alarms blaring, someone (an inhuman, because who else?) had managed to bypass the jet's security and enter, though thankfully not without tripping the internal sensors. Power was still spotty so cameras were a no-go, meaning they had to split up, Daisy going down towards the engine, while Simmons headed up in the direction of the rest of the team

When she reached the engine room Daisy had immediate déjà vu, as someone teleported in similarly to how Gordon used to, but even if he were still alive it was obviously not the eyeless man. Instead it was a leggy brunette with bright green eyes that seemed to glow in the low light of the engine room. Now Daisy was a trained SHIELD agent, a powerful inhuman, hacker extraordinaire and all around badass, she didn't get flustered by a pretty lady… unless she happened to be without a stitch of clothing on her person. So there she was, blushing, trying not to look as her mouth babbled independently of her brain's input (Her filter was like 'Hey sexy lady! You're on your on your own Skye' and fecked off) when she finally heard them

' _ **Well I did not expect this, especially as we've definitely met before'**_

And it was in that moment Daisy recognised her, both from the Framework and the real world; AIDA/Madame Hydra/Ophelia, her soulmate was an android… or maybe not so much these days. She groaned before deciding on the appropriate reaction 'My life can never be fucking normal can it?'

'Afraid not Daisy, also I hope that wasn't rhetorical' the still nude…whatever she was answered, tilting her head in what Daisy admits made her look kind of cute.

'It was. Now come on, you're about to cause so many headaches there's no point waiting around' she sighs, removing her jacket to cover Ophelia enough no one would be leering at her soulmate and leading her to the front of the plane, where everyone else still was. She really hoped she could get them through this without her soulmate getting shot, especially given how long it's taken to finally find her.

END?

LW: Well that was that. Hope it wasn't terrible, but I'm sure you'll let me know if it is.


End file.
